The Rage of Darkness
by Katara Falcon
Summary: Zorc has been searching for a way to gain power since Pharaoh put him back in the shadow realm... and Yami Bakura has the perfect solution - Ryou. includes puzzle, caste, angst, psycho and puppy shipping HAITUS
1. prologue

**All characters (C) the creator of YuGiOh**

**Fiction Rated: M**

**_this is a sample. I'm unsure if it will be continued. it very well could be..._**

Bakura lifted the heavy lead figure from it's case, and very gently weighed it in his palm. He gazed at the tiny daemon-like figurine, wondering what Zorc's spirit wanted. The red eyes glowed as they glared up at Bakura.

"You won't accept me..." he pondered aloud."Who will you accept?" after several minutes of no response, the tall, blue-haired man snarled at his stupidity. "Stupid piece of..." the lead figure was thrown across the game board. It rolled in a circle, and then the magnets kicked in, forcing the figurine to stand.

Bakura grinned, showing his teeth. The figurine leered towards the smaller figurine... of the white wizard.

Bakura began to chuckle as he gently lifted Ryou's favourite figurine from the playing board.


	2. Chapter 1: the fun begins

**discalimer: i do not own anything, not ryou, not zorc not the fish not kiaba corp... wait, WHAT?! i don't own youtube or either?!**

* * *

Ryou struggled against the bonds that confined him to the chair. However, as before, they held firm. The poorly lit room he was in hid any other people that could be there. Suddenly an insane chuckle escaped the lips of a man to his immediate right. His eyes sparked in what little light there was.

The chuckling shifted from Ryou's right to his left. He began to sweat from his fear of the insane thief, and from the steadily rising temperature of the room. Already a droplet of salt water had entangled itself in his eyebrow. Suddenly a hot hand shot out and seized Ryou's chin, forcing the blunette to look up.

"Don't move so much…" Bakura hissed, "it'll only make it hurt worse." The other man seemed to glow in the darkness from this distance, his hair framing his shadow embraced eyes. The hand left Ryou's chin, and the footsteps wandered away. Ryou's half-closed eyes opened when a sudden spark, then a fully-fledged candle flame ignited several feet before him. The chains still pinched at his arms as they held him to the chair.

His _youkai_ drew the familiar form of his knife, and held it tenderly to the small flare. The flame twisted slightly as it rushed to devour the offering, kissing and tasting the metal until cold silver glowed a warm orange. Bakura removed his precious knife then, not wishing to deform it. Hot steel parted the fibers of Ryou's shirt easily, smoldering the edges and creating a bitter smell. The pain that erupted directly above his solar plexus caused the blunette to tense, and then flop backwards. Bakura smiled, and then chuckled as he continued to engrave, the gold glow dripping bright red blood.

* * *

The room was dark. Actually, due to the lack of floor, Ryou wasn't even entirely sure that it WAS a room. His shirt was torn, but the cuts he knew were there were missing. Gazing around, Ryou finally deciphered that the 'room' wasn't dark, per say, just with a lack of matter. Suddenly a behemoth-sized shape manifested behind him, then promptly shrunk to the size of a large dog. The dark, ooze-like figure slowly became what appeared to be a small child, carrying a soft dragon toy. Zorc's red eyes burned through Ryou, absorbing every particle of information that appearances alone could give. Ryou inspected his counterpart likewise.

"You are Ryou Bakura… the light side of the thief." The child's voice was rough and gravelly, not one you would expect from such a tender form. The statement was not a question, but Ryou nodded gently in response. "Did the thief explain?"

"No…" Ryou continued his gaze at the child. He recognized the voice, but without the unforgettable face, he couldn't put the name to the tine.

"I need a host… a _hikari_… if you would accept." The tone was changing now. It was still hard and uncomfortable to listen to, but it was more befitted to the face generating it.

"Who are you?" Ryou's honest question caused the child to start. Zorc hadn't realized that Ryou would be unable to recognize him.

"I am… in need of redemption. I have committed sin in my past life… and wish to make them right." Ryou gazed at the smallish figure.

"Well…" he started, "You're asking, making you at least slightly better than my previous _youkai_…" he offered his hand, palm upward. Internally, Zorc laughed at the boy's naivety. Externally, he smiled shyly, and took the proffered hand.

* * *

Bakura wiped the sweat from his fevered _hikari_'s brow. Thick bandages covered the lad's chest, but spots of blood had already risen from the cuts underneath. On this side of a possession of a _youkai_ over a _hikari_, Bakura couldn't help but wonder if his control of Ryou had the same effect on the child's body. Sighing, he removed the millennium ring from its place of honor around his neck, and set it gently on the pillow beside the still suffering seventeen-year-old. '_Don't make me regret this…'_ he thought, taking the blunette's hand.

Suddenly Ryou cried out, causing Bakura to jump, releasing the limb he had taken hold of. "Ryou?!" he asked. The boy's eyes were open, sure enough, but the lad saw nothing. Whatever was happening was entirely in the boy's head. Green mottled to brown, then flared up red. Next thing Bakura new, his _hikari_ glowed red, and a larger daemon shape formed from the glow. The daemon smirked, baring teeth. Zorc was happy.

A second later Ryou's eyes cleared and the 17-year-old sat up with a start. He glanced at Bakura then his chest, and then proceeded to pass out again from the pain.

* * *

**_WHY?! how could they have lied ro me?! *breaks down sobbing*_**

**_Katara: oh, shut up *hits with fish*_**

**_hey... that hurt! anyways, im better now. and i do own the idea!! *runs off laughing hysterically*_**

**_Katara: *sighs* R&R plz._**


	3. Chapter 2 beginning of problems

**disclaimer: i own nothing except the idea, and i am making not profit off this fiction._ there, i did it. happy now?!_**

**_also, may contain vast amounts of puzzle, Yami M., and ryou b.X Malik I. and otherwise yaoi related plots. no likey, no ready._**

* * *

Yugi chattered away. His happiness was usually infectious, but Ryou was forced to concentrate on walking in a straight line without falling. His torso hurt, the bandages rubbed brutally at the cuts on his chest. He was also tired; the newest companion-spirit was taking a toll on his body. Suddenly Yugi stopped, and took Ryou's shoulder gently.

"Hey, Ryou, are you okay? You look beat."

"I… I've just not slept well recently. Don't worry, my friend."

"Hey, if you want, Ryou, I can try and talk Yami into dragging the thieves to a pub or something for a night. That way you can try and get some extra sleep."

"Thank you, Yugi, but that is not…" Ryou paused, "Not…." Yugi attempted to catch the now unconscious Ryou, and was knocked over in the process. Yami came to a skidding halt a moment later.

"_Aibou_, are you alright?!" Yami asked hurriedly.

"Yes, Yami, I'm fine. But Ryou fell, and I can't lift him." Yami contemplated a moment, and then lifted the blue-haired _hikari_ into his arms. Ryou groaned in his sleep, clutching at the front of his shirt. "Our house is closer than his; let's bring him there."

"Yes, _Aibou_." Yami shifted the unconscious figure in his arms, and then followed his _hikari_ home. The blunette was hastily placed on the visitor bed, and Yami left to help Yugi explain to his grandfather why Ryou was now occupying the family's spare bed. Soon the unconscious man was being watched once again by his friend. Yugi barely noticed his _youkai_ approach.

"We should call Bakura, or else the thief will come storming in here uninvited demanding what we did with his _hikari_." Yami whispered. "The light side of the thief will be alright for several minutes at the very least."

"I… okay." Yugi stood. The shift in weight caused Ryou's head to fall to the side, shifting the youth's neckline. The slightly-yellowed shade of a bandage unchanged for several days was now visible. Yugi stopped, being good at noticing such subtle differences. "Wait… Yami… Ryou's chest is bandaged. Help me."

Yami carefully lifted the blunette so that Yugi could easily remove Ryou's shirt, and then the bandages. He inhaled sharply as he saw the obviously intentional flesh wound engraved into Ryou's mid-chest. The just-as-obvious infection of the cuts caused Yami to scowl before releasing the blunette back into the previous horizontal position.

Ryou couldn't help but start at the atrocious mess his mind was in. In the center, the small figure from before was entangled in the thick bluish strands that seemed to form at Ryou's feet, and Ryou was tangled in the reddish strands forming from the figure. Their souls were so hopelessly tangled, Ryou wondered if this new soul would ever get to see the world in the way Bakura now could. It had taken nearly a year for Ryou to untangle his 1st _youkai_ from himself, but Bakura had been manifested in a separate object, not engraved into flesh, as Ryou's newest _youkai_. Ryou and Bakura had therefore been easier to untangle from each other.

"I'll help… if you show me the way…" the child's spirit whispered. The voice had softened even further, as the tender, forgiving qualities of Ryou were exposed to the unknowledgeable daemon. Zorc clutched at the entangling strands; he had not realized that Ryou's mind would be symbolized by a tree's roots. A labyrinth, as Yami had, he could handle; Bakura's minefield-like mind, easier. But living things were not his area of expertise, leaving Zorc absolutely clueless as to solving the secrets of Ryou's mind.

Ryou smiled, and promptly began work on his half of this puzzle, occasionally throwing hints at the clueless daemon opposite him.

Yugi smiled down at his friend. It had taken three days, but Ryou had finally broken out of his coma, his fever subsided for now. "How're you doing?" Yugi asked cheerily.

"I… can feel my toes." Ryou muttered, sitting up slowly. His temples throbbed still.

"That's always a good sign." Yugi stated. "Are you Advil, Tylenol, or aspirin?"

"Advil…" Ryou muttered. His head really hurt, but not as much as the cuts on his chest. The spiky-haired _hikari_ returned a moment later with the pain meds, then left again, stating that he was going to let the _youkai_s know that he was alright. After swallowing the pills, Ryou stood. He tugged his shirt over his bandaged chest, and wandered from the room. The painkiller hadn't kicked in yet, forcing Ryou to move slowly as he lowered himself down the stairwell of the Mutou house. Yami was in the middle of yelling at Ryou's 1st _youkai_.

"What have I told you about mutilating your _hikari_?!" Yami demanded.

"Lots of things… don't mean I listen to you, Pharaoh." Bakura stated calmly. Ryou grimaced to himself. That was how Bakura always was, stuck up and brutally honest when he wasn't lying through his teeth. Especially when he knew it would irritate others.

"Why, you little…!" Yami dove at Bakura, who smirked. The two wrestled on the ground a moment before Ryou could find his voice.

"Yami… don't hurt 'Kura…." He whispered, pushing off the wall to collapse on the thief, who had taken the moment to right himself.

"Consider yourself on probation, Thief." Yami snarled, as Ryou was carted out of the Mutou household in the arms of his previous _youkai_.

The nearby park was dark in the twilight. Bakura slowed from his jog to a walk. He glanced down, noting the dim red glow emitting from his _hikari_. "Well…" Bakura started, "I think the man in my arms has a whole 30 seconds to pretend to wake up now."

"Am I really that see-through…?" the voice emitted from Ryou's soft lips was harsh. Zorc's red eyes glowered up at Bakura. Suddenly his backside connected solidly with cement; Bakura had dropped him. "Now look who's the sourpuss…"

"I only accept crap from Ryou, and even then only because he's cute."

"Oh, you're no fun." Zorc chuckled. Bakura helped the spirit he had summoned to his feet.

"So how'd you do it?" Bakura asked.

"Ryou is unbelievably naïve. He thinks I'm in search of redemption, or spiritual freedom or something." Zorc cackled. His voice was so out of place in Ryou's body that a nearby mother turned to stare. She quickly walked away from the red-eyed creep and his nearly-identical twin. Zorc laughed at her retreating back. Bakura grabbed the daemon's arm and hauled him back towards Ryou's house. At the door, suddenly Zorc stumbled. His eyes flickered to muddled brown, and then re-flared to Ryou's green, leaving a very confused young _hikari_ kneeling at the top of the steps of his front door.

"How'd I get here?"

"I carried you. You passed out just after we left Yugi's place, so I carried you here, where you woke up. Which pocket is the key in?"

"Under the mat." Ryou stated, clinging to Bakura's legs for support. "I've given up hiding the key from you two." The door was opened, and a very confused Akefia watched them enter the room.

"Where've you been?" he asked.

"You know… here… there… crazy… we made the rounds." Bakura laughed. Ryou rolled his eyes. The Advil was hard at work, the pain was almost gone. Akefia laughed along with his present-day self. The scar of his cheek distended as the man laughed. Watching that, Ryou felt a pang in his own chest, as his breath suddenly reached the limits of the scab, unlocking a new flow of blood. His chest now itched.

"And how's bitty-Baku?" Akefia asked pleasantly.

"I'd be better with more socks, but you like stealing those, so…" Both thieves laughed. Ryou cracked a grin for his _youkai _and his_ youkai_'s previous self. Suddenly, the doorbell rang. Akefia suddenly stopped, and looked thoughtful as if he'd forgotten something. Ryou answered the door instead, and was greeted by a sharp blow to the stomach.

* * *

**_The next chptr will arrive soon. i promisies! for nows, R & R!!! 3 ;^)_**


	4. Chapter 3: enter trouble

**disclaimer: oh noes, they be stealin ma cheezi puffz! **

* * *

He decided that his doormat needed vacuuming. Gravel pressed into the youth's forehead as he remained keeled over in pain. An elderly man stood tall before Ryou, gazing down at his grandson with an expression that could only be read as disgust. Both Akefia and Bakura backed up, slightly afraid of this unknown figure. However, Bakura's concern for his _hikari_ slightly outweighed his fear, and he found himself helping Ryou to his feet.

He froze when a cane jabbed itself beneath his chin and lifted.

"You aren't my son, nor my grandson… so who might you and your skirted friend be?"

"We are friends." Bakura stated, mustering all the courage he could find. For some reason, this elderly, weak looking fellow daunted the king of thieves. However, Akefia seemed merely confused.

"Wait yur the guy on the television thing!" Akefia announced. The elderly man lifted his eyebrows, confused.

"It's called a telePHONE, 'Kefia." Bakura corrected. The old man looked slightly more confused, but soon replaced the look with the original disgust, as Ryou was finally recovering from the blow.

"Hello Grandpa…!" he whispered, gritting his teeth against the pain in his chest and bowing politely.

"You were tougher last time." The old man snorted, obviously disproving.

"I apologize, Grandpa. I… got into a fight about a week ago, with some gang or something, and I think they may have cracked a rib or two."

"Don't feed me excuses. Where's that lackey of a father of yours?!"

"Er… Central Egypt I do believe." Ryou replied honestly, straightening.

"Explains a lot… especially why you haven't invited me in yet. Teenagers these days, no respect for their elders." The old man's scowl seemed to deepen, as did the maze of wrinkles in his forehead.

"Oh, bollocks, I'm so sorry, please, come in!" Ryou rushed out of the old man's reach and path as fast as his chest allowed. The door closed behind the old man, leaving the rest of the world behind to wonder what would happen with three slightly crazed Bakuras alone in a house with a single sane Ryou.

* * *

The dark-blue haired man fumbled with his cell phone in the Egyptian 3 am darkness. "Hello?" he asked, rubbing at his eyes and reaching for his glasses.

"Hey Dad, sorry to call so late…!" Ryou stated quietly over the line. He sounded worried, something that brought the elder man to attention immediately.

"What's wrong lad? House burn down?"

"Not… as drastic." Ryou spoke quieter this time, worrying the elder Bakura even more.

"Okay spit it out before my tent mate mauls me for taking a call at 3am."

"Er… 'Kura, for the love of Ra, turn that thing off! I mean it! Sorry, Dad. Um, how do I put this to keep you from yelling… okay… er…?"

"Kura! Get off the damn phone and let us sleep!" someone hissed.

"It's my son, Andrew. Hush up and I will be quiet and dark faster. Ryou, just tell me."

"Oh bollocks… Grandfather's here."

"WHAT?" Mr. Bakura fell clean out of his bunk, earning him a handful of dirty looks and a groan from the other side of the line. The elder man dragged himself to his feet, and rushed from the tent, barefoot. "Where are you?"

"Bunking out on the front steps for now. I have a couple friends coming over."

"Good. I will call your cell when I get the arrival time for a flight to Domino. You're in Domino, right?"

"Yes Dad, we're in Domino. Just like the game you hate."

"Bye."

"Later."

Ryou looked up at Bakura, who took the phone back. Grandpa Bakura had taken it earlier, however being a master thief made the return of said phone much faster. And of course, the elderly man wasn't getting it back. No one took things from Bakura, other than Akefia, but that didn't even count. Suddenly someone warm took Ryou about the waist and pecked him on the cheek.

"Hi Malik." Ryou whispered, peering over his shoulder at the Egyptian tomb keeper.

"So what's the emergency?"

"Family visiting unexpectedly. The white sheep of us."

"What?"

"My Dad and I are the black sheep of the family, the one pretending to sleep upstairs is part of the white flock."

"I think I understand now." Malik still looked hopelessly confused, but his sharp mind would figure it out eventually. Ryou played with his shirt collar a moment before asking "How long does it take to fly from Egypt?"

"Central Egypt is about… anyone leaving now would get here about 9 or 10 in the morning." Malik stated, uncertainly. "Least that's what Odion said… oh yeah, er…"

"Gotta go back and clean after the windstorms?" Ryou asked quietly. Malik nodded. Every year, Odion and Isis made Malik fulfill his tomb keeper duty and return home to the underground tunnels to shine stuff and sweep the sand from the crevices.

"Yeah. The Thief wishes to keep Marik this time." Malik stated, not even looking up at the still hovering thief.

"When do you leave?"

"In the morning. Do not worry, I don't have to sleep. The twelve-hour plane flight surrenders its opportunities and I'm already packed. Though we could use a ride…?"

"I'm sure I can leave someone behind to take care of Old Man Bakura." Bakura crowed.

"It'll have to be Akefia and Marik. Actually, just Marik because I need Dad to meet you both before we get home." Ryou put in. "You two, me Malik and Odion… no Isis, right?"

"Right."

"That's still five. The car can only hold five plus luggage. And there is no option when it comes to meeting Dad at the port, because I told Grandpa you were friends of Dad's from work."

"And me?" Malik asked. His purple eyes glittered in the lamplight, the kohl outline darkened. Suddenly Bakura's phone rang. He answered.

"You didn't come up…" Ryou kissed the other. Malik purred in happiness despite being forgotten.

"We're definitely not on the front steps, nor is your grandson making out with a pretty Egyptian." Ryou froze at Bakura's words. "I said we're NOT. Look out the window. We're totally on the neighbor's front steps. Excuse me; I have another call coming in. HI MARIK! What you been up to sweetie? …Aw Nuttin much. Just picking on Ryou and completely ignoring his grandpa… Sure you can come over, when have you NOT been allowed? …Oh yeah… it doesn't matter. See you soon! So where were we?" Bakura returned to the elder on the other line, and Malik turned to Ryou, who rolled his eyes.

"Wanna head in? It's getting kinda chilly."

"Okay..." Malik giggled. They went indoors, leaving Bakura to wait for Marik. They settled on the couch, flopped against each other. Driving the millennium rod into its usual place between the cushions, Malik began to braid the waterfall of white-blue hair on his lap. The all night movie channel was just starting another horror film about some crazy person with a machete and a hokey mask. It was a marathon though, and watchable. Maybe even containing some form of plot.

"Who might you be?" he was back, and off the phone.

"Another friend." Malik stated. "Malik Ishtar, from Valley of Kings, Egypt."

"Never heard of you. Did you know the other blue haired fool took that phone right out of my pocket?"

"Yes. You have to talk to HIM about his odd tendencies though; I have NO control over them." Ryou responded. He cracked open one of the magazines, and Malik read it over his shoulder while still braiding away. Someone screamed on the TV, no one in the room cared. "Dad'll be at the airport in the morning, and I promised like a week ago I'd take this one and his brother to the airport. I'll probably leave you with the baby of their family." Ryou stated. "Don't worry, he won't kill you. Might bite though."

"Fine. I'm going to bed, turn that ridiculous thing down."

"We'll keep quiet."

"You better." Looking very disgruntled at having to 'baby-sit', and being ordered around by his grandson, the old man made his way up to the spare room. Ryou returned Malik's grin, both failing to correct the assumption that Marik was younger than ten.

* * *

** i don't like Baku-grandpa. he makes me go :^( **

**R&R plz!1!! :^J**


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